Lemon Jello Cake [+ Video]

This Lemon Jello Cake is perfect anytime of year, but it’s especially great for Easter and the 4th of July. It’s an easy lemon cake that uses a few shortcuts to speed things up!

The Best Lemon Cake Recipe

Hey guys! It’s Sarah, yes that one who was able to share our road to adoption with your help and the most incredible day when we finally held our baby girl and the miracle of adoption. But today is about lemon jello cake.

I got so excited about this easy lemon cake recipe that I have to warn you that this post not only includes a delicious recipe for lemon jello cake, but it also includes a lot of tangents that you’ll read in the gazillion parenthesis! Writing this down instead of telling it to you personally allows my brain too much time to wander as I write simple sentences.  You will learn the inner-workings of my head!

I love lemony food. Everything with lemon tastes fresh—lemonade, lemon squares, pasta lemon cream sauce…Sour Heads (those freshen up your senses pretty quickly). And there is nothing better than a fresh tasting dessert! (Do you want to know how I learned to spell dessert? In elementary school my teacher told me that you want more dessert so you spell it with two “s”es and not one…desert. Shout out to you, school teachers!)

This lemon jello cake is one of our favorite treats. It is the moistest (my sister-in-law’s favorite word…and anything that has the “oi” sound) cake with help from the Lemon Jell-O flavor packet and the icing on top that seeps down through the sponginess (is that a word? I like to make up words) of the cake. And moist cakes are the only way to go.

This lemon jello cake will forever and ever remind me of visiting my grandparents house on Sunday evenings where we would play, talk and eat.  I still see their 50-year-old antique silverware and old plates lining the table before everyone digs in. Food does that, doesn’t it? What recipe do you make that transports you back in time?

Lemon Jello Cake Ingredients

This lemon cake recipe comes together quickly with the help of a few shortcuts. I love homemade cakes, but simpler family recipes like this one are great to have on hand too! Here’s what you’ll need to make this cake mix lemon cake recipe:

• Lemon Cake Mix: We prefer Duncan Hines brand, but any brand will work great.
• Eggs: Adds structure to the cake.
• Water: Adds moisture and helps activate the jello making the cake extra moist
• Oil: The fat that keeps the cake moist and tender.
• Lemon Jello: You will use just the jello powder and be sure it isn’t sugar free
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is an absolute must!
• Powdered Sugar: Adds all the sweetness to the icing

The measurements for all the ingredients can found down below so keep scrolling down to the recipe card for all

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Our kids are back in school or starting new jobs, and we’re enjoying the start of fall here in Ohio. We’ve had some gloriously cool mornings here and I’m trying to get out and walk as much as possible these days.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: I’ve been back in the kitchen this week, cooking and baking some great new recipes to share. The time off was great, and I’m excited to get back to work. Is anyone else ready for some fall comfort foods?

In the meantime, let’s put together a meal plan for this week with some Beer and Garlic Grilled Chicken, Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese, and this Watermelon Fruit Salad.

For my salad cravings, this BLT Chopped Salad and the Italian Grinder Salad need to happen soon.

Ramen Egg Roll in a Bowl is an irresistible skillet of deconstructed egg rolls tossed with ramen noodles and I’m telling you now that you are going to love it.

One of my boys requested enchiladas this week, so these cheesy green chile chicken and black bean enchiladas are also on the meal plan. It’s a guaranteed two thumbs up from my crowd.

Buttery, garlicky shrimp with plenty of bright lemon is something I can never get enough of. I have a hard time resisting eating these Garlic Butter Shrimp straight out of the pan each time I cook them.

I’ve been craving these Cosmic Brownies, so I’ll be making a batch this weekend. (On the pretense of stocking them in the freezer for the kids, ha.) 

And I’m thinking it’s time to make this Blackberry Coconut Crisp again, along with a batch of ice cream to scoop over each serving.

My FAVORITE THING this week are these cropped leggings. I’ve been wearing them for several years now, and just bought a couple of new pairs. They hold up well and I just about live in them both for exercise and for work days in the kitchen through the fall and winter.

What I’m READING: A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey. This wasn’t really a feel-good book for me. It was more of an ups-and-downs roller coaster, a little too realistic for me at times. I found it both depressing and uplifting at different times. It w

Weekly Menu Plan – Aug. 26 to Sep. 1

It’s a weekly menu plan we can all enjoy! These are easy family-friendly recipes that everyone will enjoy!

Monday: Ultimate BBQ Brisket Nachos

Tuesday: Bourbon Chicken

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Chicken Pasta with Lemon Basil

Friday: LEFTOVERS

Saturday: Italian Pressed Sandwiches

Sunday: Favorite BBQ Chicken on the Grill

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – Aug. 26 to Sep. 1

The BEST Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings

Chicken wings bursting with flavor from a perfect dry rub of dark brown sugar, oregano, smoked paprika and more! Your boring chicken wings just became the best dang chicken recipe you’ll have this month!

I’ll be the first to admit it, I was wrong. Chicken wings are not a waste. Chicken wings are in fact delicious. I don’t know how such a teensy tiny amount of meat can be so good but these Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings are proof of the deliciousness. If a dry rub and smoker aren’t your thing, try our traditional buffalo wings, air fryer teriyaki wings, or our garlic parmesan grilled chicken wings recipes!

I remember the first time I ever tried chicken wings. It was at a restaurant in Idaho and the sauces all tasted almost identical. The chicken tasted like it was frozen and reheated and there was a lot of stale popcorn.

Maybe it was just that location.

Maybe I was the problem.

I don’t know, but it was not my favorite dinner and in fact I went home from that date with a stomach ache.

Fast forward 500 years and bust out your Traeger (or any smoker) because I’m totally on board with this lil’ chicken wang thang!

How to Make Smoked Chicken Wings

The first step to making these smoked chicken wing recipe is to prep your Traeger (or pellet grill of choice). Preheat the smoker with super smoke for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Set the heat to 225 degrees and allow the smoker to preheat for 10 minutes.

While the Traeger is preheating, prepare the dry rub. See section below and the recipe card for more details on the dry rub. We like to use a disposable pan for smoking these wings. Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Toss the wings and the dry rub in the disposable pan until the wings are completely coated. Then arrange the wings in a single layer in the pan.

Place the pan in the smoker. Cook the wings for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the wings in their thickest part is 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.

How to Get Crispy Skin on Smoked Wings

When the wings have reached temperature, remove the pan from the smoker and set the smoker to high heat or heat up your grill if your smoker doesn’t have the high heat function. Grill the wings on both sides until grill marks appear and then let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve and eat!

read more: Looking for Traeger recipes? Check out our Traeger Chicken Breast Recipe or our Whole Smoked Chicken Recipe next!

What Goes in the Dry Rub?

The dry rub is where all the flavor comes from. Combined wi

Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are super moist with a delicious spice cake flavor and fluffy cream cheese buttercream.

Zucchini is such an amazing food to bake with. I know that the whole idea of putting vegetables in baking sounds weird to a lot of people – but trust me – zucchini is incredible in muffins, cakes, breads and cupcakes. It makes baked goods super moist with a soft crumb, just like these Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

So today we’re making zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. The cupcakes have a delicious spice cake flavor thanks to warm cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Then there’s a hint of vanilla and a touch of brown sugar for even more flavor.

The fluffy cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping. Smooth, creamy, extra fluffy and slightly tangy. You’re seriously going to love them. One of my favorite zucchini recipes ever!

Why Use Zucchini in Baking?

Using zucchini in baked goods adds moisture, texture and even healthy nutrients without altering the flavor. Zucchini is very mild in flavor and high in water content so it is ideal for adding moisture to a muffin, cupcake, quick bread, etc. The added bonus of using zucchini in baking is getting lots of yummy treats from all that zucchini coming from your summer garden!

Zucchini Cupcake Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for zucchini cupcakes are pantry friendly, and chances are that if you have a zucchini or two, you can whip this cupcake recipe up with little prep. Here is what you need:

Zucchini Cupcakes

• Zucchini: If you grate it finely, you won’t even know the zucchini is there.
• Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour is all you need.
• Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent to give the cupcakes rise and fluffiness.
• Salt: Enhances the sweetness and all the flavors.
• Seasonings: Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ground Cloves
• Vegetable Oil: Adds fat to the cupcakes to keep them moist. Canola oil also works great.
• White Sugar: Adds sweetness.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and rich flavor.
• &